Persistence through Pain: A Novel about Life, or Something Like It

Manny Rodriguez is a successful private practice attorney in Los Angeles. To the outside observer, Manny has it all: a successful career, a hefty bank account, and a supportive family circle. Even with all this, Manny seeks additional accomplishments. On one day in particular—a very special day for Manny—he awakens and mentally prepares himself to pitch his recently completed manuscript to a local publishing house.

On this unseasonably warm Los Angeles morning, Manny is caught off -guard. Without warning, an earthquake shakes the foundation of his home and his life. Trapped beneath the rubble, his financial priorities seem trite. Beneath the rubble, he must struggle with what really matters as he is haunted by flashbacks of a lost love and past pain he shudders to remember.

While haunted by images of his beloved Jane, his caring mother, and his worried sister, Manny must persist in his fight to survive. Manny longs to escape; he must live long enough to realign his priorities, from blossoming career to blossoming love. Will the house he worked so hard for send him to the grave? Or will Manny overcome his pain and rise from the rubble—changed, inspired, and prepared to face the past with a new, unconquerable spirit, like a phoenix rising from ash?